1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a stabilized breast-feeding garment including a cover for concealing the nursing child and a deformable clip attachable to the cover for engaging the shoulder of the mother.
2. Description of Related Art
Mastering the art of discreet breast-feeding in public has long been a struggle for women. Many inventors have tried to make the job of discreet breast-feeding easier. While all prior art devices are directed primarily at concealing the breast area, the approaches usually require special wardrobes, shoulder drapes or blankets, all of which in turn have created new problems of their own.
When special clothing has to be purchased to breast-feed an infant, it can be a substantial expense, especially for new parents. Examples of prior art garments designed to be worn as items of clothing include those described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos.: 890,614; 1,206,480, 4,528,699; 4,566,136; 4,567,611; 4,601,068 and 4,660,227.
Another prior art approach is to employ a garment that is not disguised as an item of clothing but rather acts as a drape to cover the nursing child. The advantage of drapes is that they are less expensive than specialty clothing but tend to slip and be unstable. Also, prior art drapes may work for mothers who nurse only while sitting, but other mothers may be more active, especially those with additional children, and may need the ability to walk around.
One prior art solution has been to use a plain fabric shoulder blanket. Unfortunately, shoulder blankets slip and may cause a mother and child to feel overheated and uncomfortable.
Alternatively, drapes can be made to fit around the neck of the mother, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,754 or over or around the shoulder of the mother as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,468,816 and 4,712,251.
The device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,251 is of possible relevance in that it includes a portion that rests over the shoulder of the wearer and is connectable to a front bib. The device relies on an equal distribution of weight to keep the bib in position. Such an approach may work for sitting mothers but, unfortunately, it does not provide sufficient stability for a nursing mother who is standing up or walking around. Under such circumstances, the bib has a tendency to slide off the mother's shoulder.
It was in the context of the foregoing prior art that the present invention arose.